South Africa picks up seven wikis to add just 127 runs on the second day
Innings Pakistan 272 (Faheem 78 *, Babar 77, Nortje 5-56, Maharaj 3-90) vs. South Africa
Anrich Nortje claimed the third five for his test career as South Africa took seven wickets for 127 runs on the second day to put Pakistan off for 272 on the second day in Rawalpindi.
Contrary to what these figures suggest, however, South Africa did not. Faheem Ashraf placed the lowest order in Pakistan against the South African attack, which saw the tail take the game away from them in the Karachi Test. Then there were the last four wikis in Pakistan on 202. Here, the last five wikis ruled just 123, leaving South Africa with much to laugh at after their attack was reduced by one. George Linde, the second specialist spinner, shook just 5.5 years after grabbing the little finger of his bowling arm on the first day, when he was in third place. He returned on the second day to deliver three petals but had some space at best. Instead, South Africa relied heavily on Keshav Maharaj, who put down 45 overs, and Nortje, who used his speed and short ball effectively to impress Dale Steyn, who also took third. his five-for-all career in Pakistan.
Earlier, Nortje made his first break when he got Babar Azam caught at the second inning by the second ball of the day. Azam was looking to cut a ball of length but got a thick outer edge and Faf du Plessis took the chance at the height of his head. This was the second time Azam was sacked without adding to his overnight score in Rawalpindi – he was 143 against Bangladesh in February last year when the same thing happened, and this was the first time in three test innings at this center that Pakistan had not skipped a hundred years.
But Azam did not suffer the most surprising stretch of field in the morning session. That was the fate of Fawad Alam, who added three to his first 42 days before being run out at the end of the striker with a direct blow from Temba Bavuma. Fawad shook Kagiso Rabada’s delivery to the sideline, where Bavuma moved in from the point, picked up and threw in one move and hit Alam’s dive in a sight reminiscent of David’s run. Warner out in 2016. Alam could only mark his head. thanks to Bavuma’s efforts and walk away.
With two new bats, Mohammad Rizwan and Ashraf, at the raid, South Africa were looking to exert pressure with their front-line sailors, but Ashraf was confident on the way and pulling and with the second new member approaching, Quinton de Kock turned to Wiaan Mulder and Maharaj. Mulder struggled to get anything done, suggesting that if a bowler doesn’t have a fast pace or the ability to take advantage of a swing set, this surface could be hard work for them.
Linde, meanwhile, left the field in the 23rd over the first day with laceration on his left little finger and returned with strapping in the 77th over. He made a bowl but left to get more treatment, and thankfully for the visiting side, they were able to take the second new ball in the 81st over. Rizwan quickly used it to lead Nortje past a cry for four but his fun didn’t last. Nortje put a short ball down in his next step and Rizwan stopped pulling to Rabada at the right foot.
South Africa would have been happy with that but were left even happier when Maharaj, who got his second new member when he was less than five years old, got out one more. He had caught Hasan Ali at a slope with a delivery that turned, kicked and carried the shoulder of the stick on its way to Dean Elgar. The wickets came later, more or less on a cue, but Ashraf made sure the Pakistanis were not out of it.
Firdose Moonda is an ESPNcricinfo journalist in South Africa